


Crash Into Me

by wearegroundzero



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Doctor Who, Doctor Who meets Roswell, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-16
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-26 18:38:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearegroundzero/pseuds/wearegroundzero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> "Another order of fish fingers with a side of custard." Amelia Pond wrinkled her nose, sliding the receipt to the short order cook.</p><p> "Again?" He raised his eyebrow, glancing over at the strange man with the disgusting dietary quirk. "That's the third time this week."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For some odd reason, I couldn't get the idea of combining Doctor Who with Roswell out of my head. So I made a thing, respect the thing! This is my first ever fanfic. Please be gentle! :D
> 
> Constructive criticism is much appreciated!

"Another order of fish fingers with a side of custard." Amelia Pond wrinkled her nose, sliding the receipt to the short order cook.

 "Again?" He raised his eyebrow, glancing over at the strange man with the disgusting dietary quirk. "That's the third time this week."

The redheaded waitress shrugged, flinging a clean dish rag over her shoulder and bouncing back to the front counter where her best friend stood, tediously refilling the half empty ketchup bottles. "He's back!" She teased, in sing-song voice.

 "Who?"

 "The weirdo in thee bow-tie." Her Scottish accent lingering on the last word. "I think he fancies you!"

 River Song rolled her eyes, trying to hide a smile. "What makes you say that?"

 "Are you kidding? The poor guy can barely take his eyes off you.  Can't blame him, though. You're all hair and cleavage!" She laughed, swatting River on the backside with the dish rag.

"Amelia!" River jumped back, shaking her head and sending blonde curls flying around her face. 

 "Just sayin'!" She raised her hands in defeat and walked over to the soda machine.

 River wiped the ketchup from her hands and looked over at the strange man. He was staring at her with dark blue eyes that seemed to see right through her. They held eye contact for a moment before he quickly looked away, a slight blush crossed his prominent cheekbones. He was unusual, but attractive in a book-ish sorta way. She took a mental note of all his mannerisms. The way he'd rake his fingers through his floppy brown hair and sub-consciously adjust his bowtie. It was all a bit endearing. 

 The jingle of the bell above the door pulled her from her thoughts as two men walked in to the diner.  
   
 The men seemed to be in a pretty heated discussion as they settled into the booth near the window. One guy was much bigger, with a round gut that stuck out against the edge of the table. The other one was much smaller, but more muscular. They were leaning in, using the menu as a divider between their private conversation and the rest of the diner.

"Orders up!" Rory Williams shouted, sliding a plate of fish fingers and custard across the open kitchen counter. "It's hot, so be careful." 

 "Yes, sir!" Amy winked, causing Rory to grin like a school boy.

 She carefully took the plate and nudged River. "Do you wanna take it to him?" 

 "No, I should probably deal with those two." River cocked her head towards the two men. She'd rather flirt with the man in the bowtie, but bartending gave her better coping skills when it came to handling difficult customers.

 "Well...they seem pleasant!"

 "Don't they!" River chuckled, tucking her order pad inside her apron and grabbing the fresh brewed pot of coffee.

 "Give me my money!!" The bigger man yelled, squeezing himself out of the booth and shoving a pistol in to the other guys face. The smaller one jumped up and attempted to grab the gun from his hands.

 "He's got a gun!" Amy screamed.

The two men struggled for control and before she had time to react, the sound of a single gunshot rang out through the room.

 River fell back against the wall and slumped to the ground. She could feel the warmth from the blood as soaked through her uniform.

 "River! River! Rory, call an ambulance!!" Amy shrieked.

 River fought to keep her eyes open as her vision started to blur. Her friends face became cloudy. Like a moon, she thought as she closed her eyes. 

 "Stay with me." 

 It was a voice she didn't recognize, but it was soothing.

 "Keep away from her!" 

 "Trust me, I'm the Doctor!"

"The ambulance is on their way."

 "Keep her back!"

 "NO!"

 All the voices seemed so far away...

***

The Doctor sprang up from his seat instantly and rushed over to the girl. He felt his hearts squeeze in his chest at the sight of her-all pale as the life slowly drained from her body.

 Without thinking, he leaned down next to her and cupped her face in his hands. "Stay with me."

 "Keep away from her!" The fiery redhead shouted, smacking his shoulder.

 "Trust me, I'm the Doctor!" 

 "The ambulance is on their way." The cook came out of the kitchen and wrapped a protective arm around the hysterical girl. 

 The Doctor knelt down beside her and tore open the blood soaked uniform and examined the gunshot wound. He placed his hand over the point of entrance, feeling the warm liquid gushing out against his palm. "Keep her back!" 

 'Come on..come on..stay with me.' He thought to himself, ignoring the cries from the other waitress and focusing solely on River. She was all the mattered.

 He took a deep breath, concentrating intently on the bullet hole in the center of her abdomen as his hand started to glow. He felt his regeneration energy building up, flowing from his body into hers and repairing the damage. And in that moment, that one shining moment, they were one. 

 With a sharp intake of breath, she opened her eyes. Relief washed over his body as he slowly raised his hand from her exposed stomach. His eyes lingered over the blood stained skin. She was whole and perfect. 

 "The paramedics are here." The waitress choked, still sobbing uncontrollably.  
   
"River.." The Doctor brushed a loose curl from her face, his voice barely above a whisper. "I need you to help me. Tell no one what happened." 

 He reached up a grabbed a full bottle of ketchup off the counter and smashed it. He carefully poured the red condiment over the uniform, covering the blood.

 "You broke the bottle when you fell." The Doctor stared into her eyes, looking for some sort of understanding. "My life in your hands."

"I..I'm.." She struggled to speak, her voice thick with emotion.

 "Get out of the way, sir!" Two paramedics walked in, carrying equipment and bags. He stepped back and let them properly examine her.

 "I'm okay.." She said, never taking her eyes off him. With a small smile, he nodded and snuck out the door. 

 "I'm okay."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  River tried to get up and chase after the impossible man, but the paramedic firmly grasped her shoulder.
> 
>  "Don't try to move yet." He looked at her sternly, pulling out a small flashlight from his front pocket and shining it directly in her eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some odd reason, I couldn't get the idea of combining Doctor Who with Roswell out of my head. So I made a thing, respect the thing! This is my first ever fanfic. Please be gentle! :D Yes, it's titled chapter 2. I'm not clever enough to make up titles. 
> 
> Constructive criticism is much appreciated!

Chapter 2

***

 River tried to get up and chase after the impossible man, but the paramedic firmly grasped her shoulder.

 "Don't try to move yet." He looked at her sternly, pulling out a small flashlight from his front pocket and shining it directly in her eyes. 

 "Is she okay?" Rory was the first to ask. He was still holding on to Amy, who looked as if she was about to lose it. 

 "As far as I can tell." The paramedic answered, taking River's wrist and checking her pulse.

 "I'm fine. Really, I am!" River held her hands up so everyone could see the ketchup. "When I heard the gunshot, it startled me and I broke the bottle. That's all."

 Amy and Rory exchanged confused glances. Her memory was a fuzzy haze, but she knew for a fact that her best friend had seen the gunshot wound. However, she didn't call her out on her bullshit story. Not yet anyway, she thought to herself.

 "She might be in a bit of a shock, just keep an eye on her." The man looked over at his partner for confirmation. "We should probably get going."

 As they headed out the door, River carefully pushed herself up  to her feet. She looked down at the small, slick droplets of blood on the floor. If they'd paid enough attention, they might have noticed it wasn't all from ketchup. 

 "I should probably mop this up. Can't have anyone slipping." River rushed over to the yellow, industrial size bucket in the corner of the diner and rolled it over to the scene of the crime. She dunked the mop in to the dirty water and plopped it down on the floor. 

 Rory reached out, placing his hands over hers. "Let me do that." River felt a surge of protectiveness from him as he pried the mop handle from her shaky hands.

 "Thank you." Her eyes stung with held back tears. 

  Amy threw her arms around River, squeezing her so tight, it hurt her ribs. "Let me have a look at you." She held her out at arms length and stared down at the mess of ketchup on her uniform. Amy's face was pale, blotchy and streaked with dried tears. "Come on. Let's go to the ladies' and get you all cleaned up." 

Before River could agree, the front door of the diner swung open and two policemen strode in. Following behind them was a rather sinister looking woman in a black pants suit. The heels of her matching black pumps clicked against the floor as she made her way over to the counter.

 "I received a report that there were shots fired at this address," The woman stated, peeking over the brim of her black designer shades. "Can you tell us what happened?" 

 River caught her own reflection in the lenses and quickly placed her hand over her stomach in an attempt to hide the bullet hole in her uniform. From what she could tell, she looked like a hot mess. Just as she was about to speak up, Rory jumped in.

 "Yes! I can tell you what happened." He answered quickly, "I was in the kitchen, when I heard Amy scream, then a gun went off. I came out and saw..I thought I saw River bleeding.."

 "I wasn't." River cut in, "It was just ketchup. I broke a bottle."

 "Then two men ran out the door." Rory finished. 

 There was something about this woman that made River's skin crawl and she couldn't help feeling overly self-aware as the woman stood there, scrutinizing every little detail about her behind those ridiculous shades.

 "Umm..two guys came in. They were sitting over there in that booth." Amy squeaked up, her voice shaking. "The fat one pulled out a pistol and the little one tried to take it from him."

 The policeman next to the woman chuckled. "I think we may need a better description then that." 

 "Yes, of course." Amy dealt with the officer, filling him in on details of the appearances, while the other officer looked around the counter at the pile of smeared ketchup, blood and dirty water on the floor."

 "I guess that's it." The woman turned on her heel and started to head back out the door.

 "Wait!" The second officer called out. "I can't find a bullet hole." 

 "Oh..it must be in the wall somewhere." River turned around and pretended to look for it. 

 "I don't see it." The woman's voice was cold and calculating as she searched along the wall and counter top for a bullet hole. It was really starting to piss her off.

 "Well I don't know what to tell you," River said, turning back around to face the woman. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to wash up. This ketchup is sticky and the smell is giving me a headache." It wasn't the only thing giving her a headache.

 The woman pursed her lips and handed her a card. "Get ahold of me if you remember anything else."

 "Will do," River forced herself to smile as she flipped the card over in her hand and looked at the name. "Detective Kovarian."

 River held the door open, nodding politely as they left and locking up behind them. She let out a heavy sigh, feeling emotionally and physically drain. Every muscle in her body ached and she couldn't wait to get out of her uniform and take a long, hot bubble bath.

 "So, care to explain why the hell you lied to that detective and everyone else?" Amy's Scottish accent always managed to get thicker when she was upset. Rory was now at her side, staring at River with the same curious expression. 

 River gathered a mess of curls and piled them at the top of her head and secured them with a hair tie. "And what exactly was I suppose to say?" She questioned, feeling a bit better without all that hair in her face. "Excuse me, Detective Kovarian, but the reason you didn't find a bullet hole was because it went through my stomach? It's fine though, cause some strange man with bowtie magically healed me and now everything is fine! I'm fine!" 

 "She's right." Rory said, rubbing his hand against his forehead. "If she had told the truth, they probably would've locked her in a padded room and assumed she was a mental." 

 "I'm sorry. It's just..you were dying, River. I stood there and watched you-" Amy's voice broke. Her words were like another bullet to the stomach. She'd been holding everything in since the paramedic and police arrived, she hadn't had time to process.

"I almost died." River looked down at the small hole in her uniform and ran her fingers over it. It hadn't registered that an actual bullet had been inside her body.

 "He saved me." The realization that she may never see this amazing man again hit like a ton of bricks. She wanted to see him. Needed to see him. River's head was swimming with so many unanswered questions.

 "Okay," Rory interrupted her train of thought. "As strange as this has been, I need to clean this place up before my dad gets here. You two should probably head upstairs."

 Rory's father, Brian Williams, was the owner of the diner. He was her boss, landlord and also like a father-figure to her and she was in no condition to handle him doting over her at the moment.

  Amy draped her arm over River's shoulders with a gentle squeeze and guided her towards the back entrance and up the stairs. "We should probably burn the uniform."

 "Definitely"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor jiggled the wibbly lever out of sheer frustration. "Come on!" His voice echoed throughout in the empty console room.
> 
>  When the Tardis first landed in the small town of Leadworth, he'd assumed it was simply a mistake-as that does happen. It was dull, boring and not remotely special. That was until he saw her through the window of a diner. She was standing there in a silly, waitress uniform that showed off a bit of leg. Slice of pie in one hand and the other placed on her hip, big hair full of secrets-his secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lost my muse, but it came back! Again, I'm a newbie. Be kind, please rewind! 

 The Doctor jiggled the wibbly lever out of sheer frustration. "Come on!" His voice echoed throughout in the empty console room.

 When the Tardis first landed in the small town of Leadworth, he'd assumed it was simply a mistake-as that does happen. It was dull, boring and not remotely special. That was until he saw her through the window of a diner. She was standing there in a silly, waitress uniform that showed off a bit of leg. Slice of pie in one hand and the other placed on her hip, big hair full of secrets-his secrets. 

 But this version of River looked a bit younger. He'd waltz into the diner, taking a seat in the booth nearest to her, waiting for some sign or recognition. However, she didn't seem to have a clue who he was. That or she wasn't saying anything. By the third visit that week, it was fairly obvious that she didn't know him-yet.  
   
 The Doctor had met River Song once before, in biggest library in the universe, where she died. Watching her die once was hard enough, he wasn't about to let it happen again. He knew it was stupid and selfish to interfere, but he had to try and save her as she bleed out on the floor of the diner. He wasn't sure if a human could accept regeneration energy or what the consequences would be, but he did it anyway.

 Perhaps, this was what already happened or what was suppose to happen. This relieved him of some of the guilt he was already starting to feel.

 The Tardis lurched beneath his feet as it began to materialized. "Ha! Thanks dear." He lovingly stroked the console before checking the monitor and tucking his sonic screwdriver back inside his tweed jacket. 

 It was well into the night now, but that was probably a good thing. The Doctor figured he could just pop inside River's room,  that he'd already broken into previously that week, make sure she was fine and head off before she  even knew he was there. Simple.

***

 River couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned trying to get comfortable, but every time she closed her eyes, the events from that evening would replay in her head like a bad movie. The gunshot, the strange man and the detective.

 She stumbled out of bed and flicked on the light. Looking into the full length mirror next to her dresser, she lifted her night shirt up and examined her stomach again. There were no traces of the bullet. No scar, just perfect skin. 

 The adrenaline from the incident was still pumping through her body, driving her a bit mad. She needed to get some fresh air, but waking Amy at this hour would be a huge mistake. Nobody likes an angry Scottish girl deprived of sleep.

 Sliding her bedroom window open carefully, she climbed out on to the balcony. The Christmas lights that Amy and Rory had set up were still on, making the patio furniture visible in the night. She took a seat on the ledge and looked out at the alley behind the diner. She loved being outside at this time of night. It was like she completely owned the town. The air was fresh and crisp. She took a deep breath and wrapped her olive green jacket tightly around her waist. 

 The sound of industrial wheezing below startled her as she sat there in silence. She looked down with wide eyes as a big, blue box appeared out of the thin air. It was hard to make out details, but a faint glowing light passed through the windows of it, making it easier to see.

 She was just about to shout for Amy and Rory, when suddenly the man in the bowtie stepped out of the box. She recognized his silhouette first. The floppy hair and jutted chin. That chin was hard to miss.

 River silently watched as he reached up with his gangly arms, grabbed onto the fire escape and pulled himself up. She cleared her throat loudly, getting his attention.

 "Can I help you?"

 She asked, raising her eyebrow. 

 "I..uh, well.." He stumbled over his words, looking rather guilty. "I came to see if you were alright." 

 "I'm fine." She answered, holding her hand out and helping him up on to the balcony. "Can't say the same about my uniform."

 The colorful Christmas lights lit up his face, giving her a better chance to study his features. "How'd you know where to find me?" 

 He avoided eye contact and swallowed hard. She couldn't help but smile at how uncomfortable he appeared. 

 "It wasn't hard to figure out in this town." 

 "Of course." River took a deep breath and continued, "but how did you-" She couldn't finish the sentence. Saying it out loud made it somehow real. Instead, she lifted her shirt, revealing her stomach. She placed her hand over the spot that he'd healed.

 Her throat went dry when she looked back up at him. His eyes had a sadness in them that she hadn't been prepared for. He reached out and lightly touched the skin, sending an involuntary shiver throughout her body.

 "I can't explain," His voice was strained. "but I can show you."

 "How?" She blinked in surprise.

 He moved in closer, inches away from her. She could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He smelled like tea and scones. "I have to touch you." He reached up and gently tugged a stray curl that framed her face. "Trust me."

***

 The Doctor cleared his throat and let go of River's curl. He smiled as it instantly sprang back to life. "I've never done this before." He admitted, cupping her face in his hands. "Just close your eyes."

 She did as he said, letting herself relax and closing her eyes. The Doctor did the same, taking a deep breath and letting a telepathic connection form between the two of them. 

 He started from the beginning, sending her images of his home planet, Gallifrey. Bright orange skies with mountains off in the distance, covered in shining snow beneath the two moons. A young boy staring into the untempered schism and running away in fear. The lost language of his people, the Time Lords. A different face, stealing a type-40 Tardis and heading off to see the universe. 

 Different faces, all the same man. He showed her all his lives, loves and losses. The end of the Time War and the genocide of his race. Every moment of shame and pride and guilt. He let her feel it all. 

 The Doctor knew that her future would be coming up, so he quickly closed the connection. It's dangerous to have knowledge of ones future. Especially when it's ones death.

 He opened his eyes and found River staring at him, eyes filled with tears. He brushed his thumb over her cheeks, wiping them away. 

 "Ahem!" 

 The Scottish girl loudly cleared her throat. Her arms were crossed as she leaned out River's bedroom window.

 "Getting a bit cozy, are we?" She sounded irritated.

 River took a step back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. He'd been so caught up in sharing his life with her, he hadn't even taken into consideration how she would feel. She had just been shot hours ago and he comes along and drops over a thousand years worth of baggage on her. 'Stupid, selfish idiot!' He mentally scolded himself.

 "I'm fine. We...we were just talking." River gave her a reassuring smile and waved her off. The ginge huffed and shut the window.

 "I'm sorry, I-" River cut him off mid-sentence, wrapping her arms tightly around him an placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

 "Thank you."

 "Oh!" The Doctor smiled, touching his cheek where her lips had been. "For?"

 "Saving my life!" She gave him a genuine smile that made his hearts soar. Daylight was starting to intrude on their night and she was trying not to yawn.

 "I should let you get some sleep." 

 "Will I see you again?" 

 The Doctor couldn't help himself and with a grin, he replied. "Spoilers!"

 

   
 

 

 

   
   
 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't even think about it!" River snapped at the man behind the perfume counter before he could spray her. She usually avoided the entrance to the mall like a plague, but Amy had insisted on stopping at the cosmetic department.  
>    
>  "I'll try it." Amy held out her pale wrist for him to spritz. The scent wasn't over-powering. It suited her. "What's it called?" Amy asked, rubbing her wrist together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a bit sleep deprived, so hopefully this chapter makes sense! :D

 Chapter 4

***

"Don't even think about it!" River snapped at the man behind the perfume counter before he could spray her. She usually avoided the entrance to the mall like a plague, but Amy had insisted on stopping at the cosmetic department.  
   
 "I'll try it." Amy held out her pale wrist for him to spritz. The scent wasn't over-powering. It suited her. "What's it called?" Amy asked, rubbing her wrist together.

 "Petrichor! It's our best seller. We can barely keep it on the shelves." He answered, avoiding eye contact with River.

 "I'll take it!" She plopped her oversized purse down on the glass counter and paid for the biggest bottle they had. 

 "Have a good day, ladies." He said, handing Amy the sack with a wink. 

 "He was kinda cute!" Amy stated, glancing over her shoulder as they walked away. 

 River rolled her eyes at that comment. "I guess if you're into that sort of thing." She thought about it for a moment. "Too bulky for my taste."

 "I thought you liked the whole muscular thing?" Amy raised her eyebrow.

 "It's just so obvious, don't you think. Besides, I don't want a guy spending more time at the gym than he does with me."

 "And this has nothing to do with bowtie man?" Amy called her out. 

 River didn't want to admit it, but since the other night, he was all she could think about. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

 "Liar!" Amy smirked. "Are you ever going to tell me what happened with you two?"

 River had been wanting to avoid this discussion, but she knew it was impossible. The Scottish girl had a way of pulling information out of people. It was her gift.

 "I'm not even sure what happened." She answered honestly, brushing random curls out of her face. "He just showed up and we talked.." Her voice trailed off as she contemplated telling the rest. It was all too much for  her to keep secret, but it wasn't exactly her secret to tell. 

 "Well? What'd you talk about? What's his name? How'd he, ya know.." She pointed to River's stomach. "Save you?"

 River shrugged and continued flipping through racks of dresses, stopping at a rather low-cut black number. "It's hard to explain, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." She took the dress off the rack and held it up. "What do you think? Too much?"

 Amy cocked her head to the side and examined the dress. "It's definitely you!"

 "I'll take that as a compliment!" River grinned, folding the dress over her arm and checking her phone. "We should probably head back, our shift starts in an hour."

 "Thanks for reminding me." Amy whined, taking River's arm and dragging her to the checkout line.

 ***

 "Are you sure it went this way, Doctor?" Craig asked, cradling the baby inside the papoose that was strapped around him.

 The Doctor flicked his wrist and made an exaggerated gesture with his sonic screwdriver. "I'm sure! Of course, I'm sure. The cybermat definitely went this way!" 

 Stormageddon started crying as they made their way across the department store aisles.

"Shhh..come on Alfie." Craig gently patted the babies back in an attempt to soothe him, but it was useless. 

 "He needs changed. Again." The Doctor stated, wrinkling his face as the smell.

 "Of course! You speak baby, you know everything!" Craig snapped out of frustration and hurried off in the opposite direction.

 "Come on! Craig.." The Doctor called after him, when suddenly the little, metal rat whizzed by his feet and went underneath a rack of woman's clothing.

 The Doctor crouched down behind the rack of clothes and crawled across the floor, scanning for the cybermat. The end if his screwdriver lit up as he got closer to it. He stuck his arm out under the space between the floor and tried to catch it, but it zoomed out of reach before he could get a hold of it.

 "You little dalek.." He muttered, dusting his knees off as he stood up. He scanned the row of dresses, looking for the cybermat, when a pile of curls caught his attention.

 River was standing there, holding a black dress up against her body. Even though his main priority was finding that stupid rat, he couldn't help but watch her. 

 "What do you think? Too much?"

 He listened in on her conversation, staying well hidden behind a bulk of clothes. 

 "It's definitely you!" He recognized that Scottish voice. She was right. That dress was most definitely River. Despite the task at hand, he imagined her wearing it. The black material clinging to her curves and those wild, blonde curls.

 "Doctor!" Craig called out in a hushed tone with a slightly less cranky infant. 

 He quickly ducked down and made his way through the clothes over to Craig before the girls caught him spying. That would've been awkward. 

 "Did you catch the cybermat?" 

 "No, it got away. We need to come up with a better plan." 

***  
   
 "You guys are late." Rory greeted them at the back entrance, pulling Amy in for a quick kiss.

 "It's her fault. She had to get nail polish." 

 "I needed this shade!" Amy stated, holding up a mint green bottle of polish. 

 "I thought you should know that the detective stopped by." He informed, giving River a knowing look. 

 "What did she want?" She asked, her stomach twisted in knots.

 "I don't know. She was talking to my dad when I got here. I'm sure it was nothing serious. Probably just standard procedure."

 He didn't sound to sure of himself, but there was no proof that her story was fake. They had cleaned the entire diner from top to bottom. The place was spotless. It was probably cleaner now than before. 

 The back door of the diner bursted opened and Brian stuck his head out. "Does anybody work around here?" 

 They each gave apologetic looks as they headed back inside with their heads down. Rory grabbed his apron and went back to the kitchen, leaving Amy and River alone to get changed. 

 "Oh no!" Amy's eye went wide and she dropped her shopping bags down at her feet. "I swear, it was right here!"

 "What was?" River asked, opening her cubby and taking out her new uniform.

 "The bag!" Amy's face went pale and River froze.

 "The one with my uniform?" She swallowed, try to push down the lump in her throat. "Please tell me you didn't leave it in the bag!"

 "I was going to throw it out!" Amy cried out, frantically searching the other small lockers. River ran upstairs to their flat above the diner and quickly started combing through each room. The bag was gone. The only piece of evidence of what really happened was gone and she knew exactly who stole it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  River plopped down in an empty booth and kicked off her red heels. Their shift had finally ended and they were closing up for the night. 
> 
>  "Is it just me or does time pass really slowly when we aren't busy?" Amy asked, flipping the closed sign on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to add this chapter. It's been a busy month. Thanks for your patience! :)

 River plopped down in an empty booth and kicked off her red heels. Their shift had finally ended and they were closing up for the night. 

 "Is it just me or does time pass really slowly when we aren't busy?" Amy asked, flipping the closed sign on the door.

 "It's just you." Rory teased, sliding into the booth across from River with an entire pumpkin pie in hand. 

 Amy threw him an evil glare and smacked his arm. "Shut up, stupid face." She squeezed in beside him and snatched his fork, digging into the pie and taking a big bite. 

 Rory rolled his eyes as Amy gave a rather smug smile. "It's a good thing you're cute!" He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

 River couldn't stop thinking about the uniform. She was exhausted from her long shift and all the added stress over Detective Kovarian left her completely knackered. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for a year.

 "I think I should to call it a night." She half-yawned, sliding out of the booth and picking her heels up off the floor. 

 "Are you sure you're okay?" Amy asked, looking genuinely concerned.

 "I'm fine. I just need some sleep, that's all." She knew Amy felt guilty for not destroying the uniform. The poor girl had apologized a hundred time that night and River didn't blame her. It was an honest mistake.  
   
 "We'll be down here if you need anything." Rory added, "I still have to clean the kitchen and I left some more pie in the fridge."

 "Thanks." It was comforting to know that despite all the chaos lately, her two best friends were still there for her, no matter what. "Goodnight." River smiled, heading through the back of the diner and upstairs to their flat. 

 She opened her bedroom door and tossed her heels on the floor. She was just about to crawl into bed, when she noticed a blue envelope propped up against her pillow. She already knew who it was from before she even opened it. Ripping the seal, she pulled out a note.

 'Dinner tomorrow? Wear the dress.'

 River tried to contain her excitement, but she couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. She tucked the note back inside the envelope, placing it on the dresser . All her earlier worries disappeared as she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed.

***

 "Wake up!" Amy jumped on the bed, bouncing her butt on the mattress.

 River groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head. "Go away!"

 Amy yanked the pillow out from under River's head and smacked her with it. "Nope! Come on, it's almost noon."

 "Ugh. Fine." She sat up, running her fingers through her messy curls. Her muscles were sore and she wanted to nothing more than to go back to sleep. She reluctantly slid out bed, stretching her arms up above her head. She was in desperate need of a hot shower and a cup of tea.

 "Oh! What's this?" Amy picked the envelope up off the dresser and waved it out of River's grasp.

 "It's a dinner invitation, if you must know." River reached out and snatched the letter from her hand.

 "Ooo...is it from the Doctor?" That was the first time Amy actually referred to him as the Doctor and not 'bowtie' man. 

 "Yes. We are going out tonight, actually. I was hoping you could cover for me?" 

 Amy crossed her arms, leaning back against the dresser. "Of course. Are you ever going to tell me his real name? He can't just call himself Doctor, I mean, Doctor who? Is he even a real doctor?"

 River chuckled, remembering that word the Doctor had used the night before. "Spoilers." 

   
 *** 

 "Fez? No." The Doctor tossed it over his shoulder and continued combing through his wardrobe. "Bowtie. Cool!" He draped it over his neck, grabbing a matching black jacket and quickly pulling it on. 

 Tonight he'd planned to take River to dinner on a Starship cruise along the fourth quadrant of the galaxy. If you looked out over the deck of the ship, you could see the swirl of Orion arm in every detail. It was like magic, only better.  
        
 He ran back into the Tardis console room, flipped some switches and fixed his bowtie. The glass floor vibrated beneath his feet as it materialized on River's balcony. The Doctor stopped and checked his reflection, slicking back his hair and giving himself a wink. "Hello, handsome man." 

 He jumped down the steps and snapped his fingers, letting the Tardis doors swing open as he stumbled out.

 "Hello sweetie!" River was already standing out on the balcony in that dress. Her lips were a dangerous shade of red and her hair was a massive pile of curls.  
   
 "Sorry I'm late, honey. Traffic was hell." He held out his arm for her and smiled. 

 "Where are we going?" She asked, grabbing on to his arm an following him inside the Tardis.

 "It's a surprise!" He dropped her arm and ran back up to the console, typing in a new set of coordinates. When he looked back at River, she was standing at the foot of the stairs, eyes wide as she took in the sight of the Tardis.

 "What you think?" The Doctor flailed his arms around, showing off a bit. It wasn't a secret that he enjoyed the looks of pure awe mixed with a dash of terror, every time someone new came aboard. 

 River gasped, slowly climbing up the steps as she took it all in. "It's.."

 "Bigger on the inside?" The Doctor finished her sentence. He watched River as she walked around the center console, her fingers gliding over all the controls. 

 "She's beautiful." He smiled at the fact that River referred to the Tardis as 'she'. In response, the Tardis time rotor column started up, illuminating the room with it's vivid green aura. 

 "I think she likes you." 

 ***

 "Where is that order! I put it in like ten minutes ago!" Amy asked harshly, tapping her perfectly manicured fingernails against the counter.

 "I'm doing what I can!" Rory huffed, flipping over two meat patties.

 The diner was hardly ever this busy and with River gone, Amy was starting to go a bit mad with all the customers. Thankfully, the new girl was available on such short notice. Amy wasn't thrilled at the way she flirted with Rory, but she wasn't a bad waitress.

 "Table three wants to know if their order is ready?"

 "Does it look like it's ready?!" Amy snapped.

 Clara rolled her eyes and headed into the kitchen. "Is she always this angry?" She asked Rory, taking a pie out of the fridge.

 Amy overheard her and stuck her head around the door. "Obviously, somebody has never been to Scotland!"

 The door swung behind her and Rory shrugged. "She gets like that some times." He explained.

 "I heard that!" She yelled back before sneaking out the back for a quick break. Her feet were killing her and all she wanted was a minute to herself. No complaining customers. No perky waitresses. Just peace and quiet.   
   
 She leaned back against the metal door, rubbing he temples in an effort to relieve the pressure of her oncoming headache, when a black car with tinted windows slowly crept up the back alley and stopped beside her. The back driver's side window cracked down. 

 "Amelia Pond." It was voice she instantly recognized. That detective from the day of the shooting.

 "Yes?" She felt her muscles tense up as the woman leaned into view.

 "Miss Pond, I was hoping we could have a little chat."

 Amy reached behind her and grabbed on to the door knob. "About what?" She kept her voice steady.

 "We know all about the Doctor. We can help you, Amelia. You just have to trust us."

 "What do you mean? Trust you with what-" The door behind her jerked open and the black vehicle sped off, tires squealing against the pavement as it turned the corner. Amy let out a deep breath, unaware that she'd been holding it in.

 "Who was that?" Rory looked down at Amy and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey..hey..it's okay. You're shaking."

 "It was her! It was the detective. She knows about the Doctor. She knows we lied."

 

   
 

   
   
 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  "Where the hell have you been!?" 
> 
>  "Well hello to you too, sweetie!" River walked through the kitchen, passed her rather angry Scottish friend and opened the fridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter! Sorry for the slow updates & thank you for reading! I'm still shocked that people are actually reading it! :D

Chapter 6

 "Where the hell have you been!?" 

 "Well hello to you too, sweetie!" River walked through the kitchen, passed her rather angry Scottish friend and opened the fridge. 

 "Do you realize how worried we've been? You could've at least called to check in and let us know you weren't coming in to work!"

 River raised a questioning eyebrow and closed the fridge. "I was only gone a couple of hours, I don't see what the big deal is! I think you're overreacting."

 "Overreacting...overreacting!!" Amy shrieked, looking over at Rory for moral support. "You've been gone for three days!"

 "Ohh. Oops." River tried to refrain from laughing. It wasn't her fault the Doctor couldn't get the dates right.

 "Oops! That's all you have to say? Oops." The redhead crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at her.

 "I'm sorry! What are you, my mother!" River huffed, getting a bit annoyed with the third degree. She had already apologized, it wasn't as if she'd planned on being gone for three days and Amy had no right judge. 

 "Okay!" Rory cut in, "Let's not fight. We have more important things to worry about right now."

 River looked at the both of them, she was confused but it was obvious that they were both completely freaked out. "Okay. Does someone want to tell me what's going on?"

 Rory was the first to speak up. "Kovarian stopped by the other night."

 "She knows what happened. She knows about the Doctor. I don't think you should get involved with him." Amy wrapped her arms around herself, "I mean, what do we even know about him!"

 It was bizarre hearing Amy be the voice of reason. To be fair, she didn't even really know the Doctor. Except for the fact that she did. She had seen inside his mind and trusted him completely. 

 "I trust him!" River held her ground, "He saved my life. Even if you don't trust him, trust me." She pleaded. Rory looked satisfied with her answer, but Amy was still not convinced.

 "Then why can't you tell me about him?" Amy asked, her voice cracking. "You tell me everything."

 River couldn't keep avoiding her questions. At first she justified the secrecy because it wasn't necessarily her secret to tell, but now they had Kovarian snooping around. 

  River cleared her throat. "If I tell you, it'll make you a part of this. Are you sure you want to know?" 

 "Yes." 

***  
   
 Two hours and almost an entire pie later and they were all still gathered around the kitchen table. River had explained everything. She told them how the Doctor healed her, his many past lives and how he travels through time and space, having adventures and saving planets. Everything.

 "So, he's an alien. From outer space? A real, proper alien?" Rory asked again for the third time that night.

 "Yes."

 "That explains the bowtie." Amy was handling the new information better than she'd expected. 

 "So, you guys believe me?"

 "I believe that you believe and that's good enough for me." Rory answered in a very diplomatic fashion and Amy nodded in agreement.   
   
 "It makes sense though," Amy began, reaching for her glass of wine. "The first guy you fancy turns out to be an alien."

 They were all having a laughing when the kitchen doors swung open. "Who's an alien?" Asked Clara, standing there in River's waitress uniform. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Brian asked if I could take the morning shift."

 They all looked at one another, hoping that she really hadn't just heard their entire conversation.

 "Uh..the guy at the hardware store." Rory tried to recover whatever damage was just done. "Crazy old man."

 Clara just stood there eyeing them. "So, River fancies the old man that works at the hardware store?"

 "I have eclectic taste, what can  I say. Anyway.." River stood up and straightened out the kinks in her black dress. "I need some sleep. It's been a long night."

 Clara simply nodded and went back to the front counter. "I should get to work." Rory said, clearing the dishes off the table and giving Amy a quick kiss before leaving.

 "Not so fast..where do you think you're going." Amy said sternly, stopping River at the foot of the stairs. "You didn't tell me about your date." She grinned, "I want details."

***

 "Finally!" River shut the door behind her, flopping down on her bed. She didn't even bother to stand up as she shimmied out of her black dress and tossed it on the floor. She groaned with exhaustion, pulling back the covers and half-ass attempting to crawl underneath them. Just a she was about to fall asleep, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. 

 "Amy?" She quietly called out as she sat up. Her closet door slowly creaked open and three large, tentacle looking fingers gripped the door. "AMY!!" She screamed this time, jumping out of the bed with the blankets tightly wrapped around her body.

 "What?!" Amy came bursting through the door. "What the hell are you screaming for?"

 River raised her eyebrow, slightly confused. "I didn't scream." 

 "Yes, you did."

 "No, I didn't!" River huffed, "Maybe you're hearing things." She half yawned as she climbed back into bed. 

 "Yeah, maybe.." Amy knew she wasn't, but she shook her head and decided to let it go. "I'll come back up after lunch hour and wake you." She said, shutting the door behind her.

 "Goodnight..." River's words trailed off as her head hit the pillow. 


End file.
